We're glad to announce Nadine Labaki as a confirmed guest speaker at the 20th edition of FEST - New Directors | New Films Festival! Nadine is a Lebanese director, actress, and scriptwriter, known for impactful movies such as Capernaum (2018), Where Do We Go Now? (2011), and Caramel (2007).
Nadine Labaki has significantly impacted global cinema with her powerful storytelling and compelling performances. After completing her studies in audiovisual arts at the University of Beirut, Labaki began her career directing award-winning commercials and music videos. Her cinematic journey took a significant turn in 2004 when she participated in the Festival de Cannes Cinéfondation Residency, where she developed her first feature film, Caramel.
Labaki continued to explore complex themes in her subsequent works. Her 2011 film, Where Do We Go Now?, premiered at Un Certain Regard and tackled religious tensions and the female condition through a universal fable on tolerance. The film won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival.
In recognition of her contributions to the arts, Labaki was honored with the Insignia of Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture in 2008.
Her 2018 film Capernaum, a poignant manifesto on damaged childhood, truly cemented her status. Premiering in the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival, it won the Jury Prize. Labaki’s poignant acceptance speech, delivered with young actor and Syrian refugee Zain Al Rafeea, was a memorable highlight of the festival.
Capernaum received nominations for several prestigious awards, including the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, French Césars, and an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, making Labaki the first woman from the Arabic-speaking world to achieve this honor.
As an actress, Nadine Labaki has appeared in Fred Cavayé’s Mea Culpa, Xavier Beauvois’ La Rançon de la Gloire, Georges Hachem’s Stray Bullet, Laïla Marrakchi’s Rock the Casbah, Oualid Mouaness’ 1982, Mounia Akl’s Costa Brava, Wissam Smayra’s Perfect Strangers, and Tamer Ruggli’s Retour en Alexandrie.
